Politics on the Hudson

Sen. Ruben Diaz, D-Bronx, one of the original Gang of Four and then the Gang of Three, said he’s stayed on the sidelines of the Senate leadership battle and stuck by his Democratic colleagues.

But he warned that if Gov. David Paterson wants to push for a vote on same-sex marriage, as he indicated today in the New York Times, he said Paterson will be “bringing me back to the ring.”

Diaz has been the most outspoken Democratic opponent of same-sex marriage, and some officials believe that the only reason he supported Sen. Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, as majority leader is that Smith privately agreed not to introduce the legislation to the Senate floor. Smith had said he would bring the issue to the floor if the 32 votes were secure, which is uncertain.

But with Smith ousted, Sen. Pedro Espada, D-Bronx, as the new majority’s leader vowing to bring the issue to the floor and Paterson indicating he will seek to have the Senate vote on it (after telling reporters Sunday that he had no plans to do so), Diaz expressed concern.

If Diaz were to join with the Republican caucus, they would have the 32 votes necessary to break the stalemate.

“I will join back into the ring and the thing will be worse,” he said, warning the governor “to stop making things worse.”